The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Fire protection sprinklers are commonly mounted to ceilings of residential and commercial buildings. Such sprinklers are often housed within an opening in the ceiling in such a manner that the sprinkler head does not protrude below the surface of the ceiling when not in use. A decorative cover plate may be installed over the opening in the ceiling to conceal the sprinkler, improving the aesthetic qualities of the sprinkler system. In response to heat, the solder holding the cover in place melts and the cover falls away from the sprinkler and the sprinkler trigger mechanism is then activated by the heat to release a plug device to allow the sprinkler to discharge water below the ceiling.
Typically, a worker must stand atop a ladder or scaffolding to reach the opening in the ceiling to install the cover plate. When installing cover plates over multiple sprinklers, the worker must then climb down from the ladder or scaffolding, move the ladder or scaffolding below the next sprinkler, and climb back up to install the next cover, repeating this process for each of the sprinklers in a given building. This process is time-consuming and costly.